326 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



October 14, 1911, 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



Messrs. Wolstenholme and Holland, of Liverpool, 

 write as follows, under date September 2.5, with reference 

 to the sales of West Indian Sea Island cotton : — 



Since our last report, West Indian Sea Islands have been 

 in good request and the sales amount to about .'5.'iO bale?^, 

 including St. Kilts 16Arf. to 19(1, Nevis 17c/, Montserrat 

 16J,fZ. to 18rf., St. Euslatius 17(1 to 18o'., Anguilla \M., 

 Barbados I6d. to ITd , St. C'robx IGc/., and St. Vincent I5d. 

 to \8d.; also stains at 8ld. to 9|(1 



Spinners are purchasing the better qualities, owing to the 

 reported damage to the Carolina crop, for which the market 

 has not j'st opened in Charleston. Meanwhile, the best 

 Floridas and Georgias do not seem to have been affected, as 

 they are offering freely at 13(1 to Md. for the New Crop. 



The report of Messrs. Henry W. Frost &, Co., on 

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending September 9, is as follows: — 



In consequence of the recent severe stoim throughout 

 the Sea Island section, the marketing of the crop will be very 

 much delayed, and it will probably not be before the middle 

 or the end of October that the receipts will be sutiicient to 

 admit of any offerings. 



The stock of the old crop cotton held over from last year 

 has been temporarily withdrawn from the market, as the 

 Factors are anticipating very full prices for any well matured 

 sound lots. Under these circumstances, no bright cotton 

 of the old crop is offered under 40c., equals ^LM. 



, THE INTRODUCTION OF COTTON- 

 GROWING INTO NY AS ALAND. 



There has been received recently, I'.ulletin No. 1 of 1911, 

 of the Department of Agriculture of the Nya.saland Protecto- 

 rate, which deals with some problems connected with the 

 introduction and cultivation of exotic cottons in Nyasaland. 

 This pays attention to the problems that have required solu- 

 tion in connexion with cotton-growing in that country, rather 

 than to the statistics of production. 



It is pointed out, first of all, that cotton cultivation in 

 Atfrica cannot be compared with that in such countries as 

 America. In the case of Africa, the grower is uncivilized, 

 and trammelled by tradition and primitive incthods; .so much 

 so, that it is hard to make him understand why he should 

 grow a crop that does not directly provide food for him. The 

 fact that the women are desirous of obtaining the bright 



cloths which have so great an attraction for them serves as one 

 of the chief inducements for the inen to grow cotton, in order 

 to obtain the money necessary for the purchase of such 

 materials. It is to lie considered that the effects of the exten- 

 sion of cotton-growing in Africa are to increase the supply of 

 raw material for Europe, and at the same time to enhance the 

 demand for manufactured cloth from Europe. 



In regard to the climatic conditions in Nyasaland for 

 cotton-growing, it has been found that Egyptian cotton should 

 not be grown at elevations greater than 2,000 feet, while 

 American is suited to districts lying at an altitude between 

 2,000 and 4,000 feet. In dealing with these matters, a fact 

 is stated that should be more generally realized by cotton 

 growers, namely, that no one making experiments in a new 

 country, or whore cotton is being newly introduced, should 

 expect to obtain large yields in the first years of the trials. 

 It should be considered satisfactory if a gradual increase is 

 gained. 



Conditions of transport in Nyasaland make it possible 

 to grow cotton profitably within 40 miles of the railway; out- 

 side of this distance there is little profit unless the seed- 

 cotton can be ginned where it is grown, in order to lessen the 

 cost of porterage. It is natural that the native does not 

 wish to carry his cotton a great distance in order to sell it. 

 He usually conveys it in crates each containing about 70 lb. 

 of seed-cotton, and receives ^d. to Id. per lb., the pric^e being 

 dependent on locality: such a quantity of cotton will usually 

 give about 20 h. of lint for export. The first requirement 

 for a large extension of cotton-growing in Nyasaland is the 

 provision of more railways, to supplant the slower and more 

 expensive native porterage. 



As in the West Indies, experience in Nyasaland has 

 shown that the only method of discovering the most suitable 

 seeds for planting is by making careful experiments; the 

 success or failure of the industry depends on the suitability 

 of the seed. Both Uganda and Nyasaland suffered at the 

 time of the introduction of cotton growing by the importation 

 of -several different kinds of seed by private individuals. The 

 result was much confusion and a lively appreciation of the 

 fact that the question must be considered thoroughlj-, both 

 from the point of view of climate and of commerce. It is 

 hardly necessary to mention that the untoward state of 

 affairs would not have existed if the countries under discus- 

 sion had possessed agricultural officers capable of giving good 

 advice and provided with suitable experiment stations. 



Attention is drawn to the fact that careful consideration 

 of the conditions in the American cotton belt have led to the 

 conclusion that the United States will be able to supply the 

 demand for most of the short staple cotton for many years, 

 but that there will eventually be a shortage from this .source in 

 regard to long staple Uplan(l. It is the latter fact that aff()rd.s 



